Freedom With A Price
by TheLastFalafelStand
Summary: The battle of Hogwarts is in full flight and Winky has to face her demons. Her freedom, her love, and her duty clash in this first person perspective. Constructive criticism welcome!


Freedom with a Price

Her eyes were large and purple staring back at her in the reflection. She almost thought if she looked hard enough she could become one with the medallion she so preciously kept in her clothes bundled for no one to steal, the S.P.E.W. button that Ms. Hermione gave her. Her heart beamed at every breath as she took in the strength it instilled in her; she would wear it tonight.

There wasn't much to her room, a bed, a few pictures of her bestest friend Dobby on the desk, he also sat on her nightstand. Her favorite was the picture on the ceiling, a mural they had done during her battle with becoming a free elf. It was of her favoritest flower, sitting on a lake and floating down stream; they had etched in details completely covering the walls in magical artistry, a dark moonlit sky covered the pathways and twists around the mountainside now. They had been so in love with hiding in Butterbeer and discussing the mural as they created it in unison. It was a very formative time for her and she loved it so.

Dobby was gone now though, she had felt it when he died, she had lost her pair. Though she didn't truly know, it had been quite some time and there was a battle outside, she couldn't dwell on that. She was scared, but she did not need to be, because Dobby wouldn't be. She grabbed the Butterbeer on her counter and took a deep swig. 'I miss you Dobby, my true friend' she thought as she took in the mural above her, allowing her body to drop to the floor. She cried for a few moments, allowing the tears to drop down her cheeks as she grieved for her friend.

Her face contorted from sadness to anger as she allowed the adrenaline to take over. "We will fight Dobby!" She said aloud, as she took her eyes off the mural above and allowed herself to stand. She grabbed the bottle of Butterbeer, allowing her magic to flow out and pick up every other bottle whether full or empty that sat in her room, there were quite a lot.

The bottles formed a large mass behind her as she opened the door to the hall, and stepped out. She could hear faint yelling but wasn't sure which way. She looked left and concentrated hard, her and the bottles popped out of existence, and into the kitchens.

Kreacher was standing among a few other Houselfs and speaking when she came in, interrupting everyone to turn and draw magic aggressively. She stood still allowing them to recognize her and calm, Kreacher greeted her first "Winky is here! Why the bottles?" She chuckled, in a song like tone, and nodded.

Kreacher shook his head and continued. "Right, we will fight for my Master! Harry Potter is fighting the Dark Lord and his armies, I'll be in the halls fighting alongside anyone who wishes him dead, and we will protect whomever we can. Winky, will you join us in the rush? There is a large battle in the courtyard, we must go assist!"

A few of the Houself's were already moving out the door, and Winky moved to follow, taking another swig of Butterbeer on her way out the door. Kreacher charged ahead allowing a roar to come out of his lungs that she would think a giant would have trouble replicating. Kreacher's roar continued as he overtook every Houself and blew open the door to the courtyard steps, opening up the stairwell to the roar of battle, hardly drowning him out.

Winky blinked and was right behind him somehow, still running with a trail of bottles swirling with speed behind her. She began channeling more of her magic into them and allowed them to dart and evade each other to build momentum. She blinked again and was at the top of the stairs for a single moment. Allowing her open eyes to take in the closest enemy on the grounds, she blinked again, coming to behind the Death Eater and flung a bottle towards her target. Noticing it was an empty bottle she flung a quicker second bottle, also happening to be empty at her enemy and took a swig from the bottle in her hand, giggling with adrenaline as she blinked again. She was behind a giant now, following in its wake as a shield, dodging its feet and keeping pace below its feet she looked around and saw two students in the way. She blinked and was directly in between them, she put a finger on either hand out towards them. She felt skin on her fingers and blinked again, apparating the two out of the Giants path and into the hall below.

"You will stay here. Fight in smaller battles, some of these wizards are evil. They killed many witches and wizards, I've been in their trials. Please stay safe, stay smart for Winky." She said, looking from boy to girl and smiling weakly before she blinked again and was back into the battle. She looked up to see a Giants foot coming down on her quickly, she shut her eyes with force and appeared fifty feet to the left and near a pair of wizards in battle. It was Master Flitwick! She flung a bottle at his enemy and took another swig of the one in her hand. She watched as the bottle hit and shattered on the Wizards spine, folding him in half at the impact and allowing Master Flitwick's spell the opening it needed to connect. Looking to her right she saw a giant hurtling towards the castle steps, throwing a boulder into the hall and shattering the structure. The screams and cries of the students and teachers inside brought a tear out of her eye. She looked deeply at the giant and allowed herself to roar, trying to be as loud as Kreacher, and as brave as Dobby. She blinked and she was in the air above the Giant, she hurtled every bottle in her trail, aimed at the apex of the Giants head. They came down like a rain on its head and caved in its skull. She blinked again and was inside the halls, she spotted the Death Eater looking in her direction, wand throwing a green beam directly towards her. She threw the bottle with such force, 25 feet across the room to meet her foe, and looked down beginning to close her eyes as the spell impacted her chest. She let out a sigh, almost relieved as she crumpled to the floor, a lifeless smile lighting her face.


End file.
